Life In A Monarchy :LilyJames:
by TheKnightOwl
Summary: James Potter, Crown Prince, about to be betrothed to a noblewoman; Lily Evans, a horse trainer's daughter, set to be married to another commoner; how could their fates ever be joined? An AU Lily James romance set in the late 16th century
1. The Evans

_(Just to let everybody know, there **is **magic in the fic, it just comes in later on...so just clearing that up coz a lot of people seem confused about that)_

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The Evans had been the best horse breeders in the kingdom for generations past. No other horses could match theirs, not in appearance, nor in quality. Nobles from all over the kingdom insisted their stables had horses from them. And the reputation was nothing if not well deserved. The Evans' household started their day at 5 am, finishing only at 11pm. The long days were devoted completely to the care of their horses.

It was therefore no surprise when the Royal messenger knocked on their door a month before the young Prince's twentieth birthday, informing them that the prince and some other courtiers would be arriving to see some horses for their stables. Nevertheless, the excitement in the household was almost tangible, after all, it wasn't everyday that they got a visit from the prince himself.

"Lily! Hurry up and get down here! Come, I have something to tell you!" Albin Evans was shouting up the stairs to his daughter.

"I'm coming father, I'm coming!" Lily replied, hurrying to see what her father was so excited about. "What is it? Please tell me Petunia is not coming back…"

"Be respectful, Lily, she's your sister." Her father chastised, without much conviction. "But no, she's not coming back." He continued, with an audible sigh of relief.

"Then what's the big news father?" she asked, thanking her lucky stars Petunia wasn't returning.

"It's the prince, Lily, he's coming here!" her mother answered. "To choose a horse, in two weeks! We haven't much time, we must prepare everything, it _has_ to be presentable. And the house looks like a ruin, we can't have the prince see it like that! Our reputation would be…"

Lily ignored her mother's ranting and looked at her father for confirmation.

"I think your mother might need some calming draught or she would be a nervous wreck by the time the prince arrives." He replied, his eyes twinkling.

"No!" Lily exclaimed, unable to believe it. "Really? You mean the prince is actually going to be here? Here, at our house? To actually-"

"Yes, darling, now stop babbling like your mother and try and get the horses ready, we only have two weeks. We must find the best in the lot and get them trained and ready before he arrives." Her father replied, resuming the role of her stern mentor. "Oh, and for goodness' sake put Lillith somewhere solitary so she doesn't spook the other horses…or the prince!"

Lily raced out to the stables, too excited to reply. All the girls in town talked constantly of how handsome and charming the prince apparently was. None of them had seen him, of course, but that didn't stop them gossiping. But now, he was coming to her house and she was going to see him, in the flesh! But that wasn't nearly as exciting as knowing that he was coming to buy some of _her_ horses, something she had put so much effort into. She and her father had trained those horses since they were born, putting in everything they had. Of course, they had sold horses to other noblemen, but the prince was just a whole level above that wasn't he? And to think she would get to show off her work in front of the second most powerful man in the kingdom!

Lily yelled at Augustus to help her move Lillith to a stall in the old stables to keep her away from the other horses. She had always thought that her father had named their most notorious horse after her, not that her father would actually admit it. She thought it was a bit unfair, especially considering she wasn't notorious at all. If anything, the mare should've been named Petunia, she thought, after all, it was her who hadn't followed in her father's footsteps. Unlike Lily, she hated working with the horses, she thought it was a man's work, not for a lady

"Oh no! We just moved her here last week!" Augustus said as soon as he was within Lily's hearing range. "If we move her now, she won't settle for days!"

"Gus, the PRINCE is coming here, everything has to be absolutely perfect!" Lily replied, looking more excited than ever before. "And besides, she's just a horse, if you can't handle a horse you shouldn't have become a stable hand!"

Gus finally agreed and, with a slight 'Hmph', helped her move the large mare. When they returned, her father was already there and was looking for the best of the horses. Lily and Augustus set to helping him find the horses for the prince and his entrouge, even though Lillith was the best horse in Lily's eyes. But they couldn't sell her to the prince, of course, because she and her father were the only ones able to ride her.

Two weeks later, they were all set. The horses had been scrubbed and scrubbed and then some and looked magnificent. Lily herself was wearing her best riding dress, while her father was wearing his breeches and tunic. Her mother, as it happened, _had_ turned into a nervous wreck and had decided to rest rather than greet the prince. Of course, this ended up worrying her even more, as she didn't want to seem rude to the prince. She couldn't seem to decide until the last moment and then Lily had to 'help' her with some rather… 'strong' calming draught.

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_(Author's Note: first - the disclaimer: anything you don't recognise is from my own imagination. Also, the idea of Lily's parents' occupation IS NOT mine, i borrowed it from another fic n wud like to thank its author i'm sooo sorry but i don't rem. the name :-( _

_And, this fic is, obviously, very completely AU, so ye, it may not be everyone's thing, i know, but you've been warned!_

_Now to the fic: _

_Augustus isn't a stable hand, he's training at the Evans house so that he can be knighted when he's old enough. Also, Lily isn't in love with James or anyone else, in fact, she thinks he's just the medieval equivalent of a rich party boy with no values...yeah...so that's all for now...but I'm definetely updating soon)_

_PS - Love it? Hate it? Some 'crick' in my writing? let me know!! REVIEW!! I'll give you an internet cookie if u do!!_


	2. The Royal Visit

"So, she's coming then." It wasn't a question, just a statement.

"Sirius, I've told you a thousand times before and I'm telling you again – I have no choice in this!" replied the Prince, sighing.

"Of course. After all, you're only the crown Prince, heir to the throne. Why would you have any choice!" replied an exasperated Sirius.

"James, there's no point in bothering with him when he wants to act like a five year old." Their friend, Remus, cut in before they could argue any more.

"Don't act like you don't care, Remus! You hate her just as much as I do!" was the threatening whisper from Sirius.

"Yes, but I don't show it all the time, maybe you should try that too, at least in front of him. He has to marry her, imagine how _he_ feels."

James sighed and let his eyes wander. He'd heard this argument many times before and it was always the same. His friends didn't like the woman he would soon be betrothed to. He didn't much like Cecilia De Lewes either, but it wasn't something he could do anything about. Out of all the women he'd been forced to meet, Cecilia was the one from the richest, most influential family. Her father had practically sent a proposal and refusing would be very epitome of 'tactless', not something the royal family would willingly do. He was brought back to the present by the arrival of a carriage, which would undoubtedly be carrying the woman his friends were plotting the death of.

"Look," he cut into his friends' argument before Cecelia reached them, "I just need you to be civil to her, especially since we'll be in public. Just when we're in public, please."

"My Lord! It has been far too long!" Cecelia said in her sing song voice.

"My lady, it is a pleasure, as always." James replied, making sure to keep his voice pleasant, and kissed the hand she'd offered.

The Lady De Lewes turned to greet the others and James again let his mind wander again. He looked at her, knowing she was beautiful. She could even have an interesting conversation every once in a while. As far as prospective brides went, he wasn't faring too badly, in fact, he knew many men would even be envious of him. Seeing them boarding a carriage, he quickly came out of his reverie and followed them.

--

The page came in looking flustered and seemed to take a breath to calm him down.

"Announcing, His Highness James Rónán Potter, Prince of Wales; Lady Cecelia Isabel Marguerite De Lewes; Sirius Black, Lord of Oldham; Remus Lupin, Count of Toulouse with the royal attendants." He managed to announce without any major faults.

Lily's father brushed his coat off and stood up, beckoning Lily to do the same. She was very excited at the prospect of showing off their horses to royals, but she was nervous as well. All the training she and her father had given the horses would be judged today.

"Your Highness," said Mr. Evans, bowing down in front of the Prince, as Lily followed his example and curtsied.

"Mr Evans, I have heard nothing but praise for you, it's a pleasure to meet you." The Prince replied courteously. "And you, Miss Evans."

"I assure you, My Lord, the pleasure is all mine." Lily's father said before turning to Lady Cecelia De Lewes and kissing her offered hand. "My Lady. Sirs." He added, bowing before the Lord of Oldham and the Count.

However, the Lord of Oldham and the Count of Toulouse shook off the formality and took his hand to shake. Lily was a little surprised at this as she had never seen noblemen being anything less than reserved with commoners, but it seemed they knew her father, as she soon found out.

"Mr Evans, I must thank you for Dinos **(A/N: which means 'the Marvel')**, she is a real jewel. Unbeatable, it seems." The Lord of Oldham was saying.

"And she hasn't even reached her peak yet, wait for a year or two and you'll be amazed. She wasn't named Dinos for nothing, My Lord."

"Mr. Evans, if your horses are half as good as Sirius tells me, then I doubt I'll see another horse breeder again." The Prince said, joining in the conversation.

"Your Highness, the standard seems to have been set high! I hope I will not disappoint." Mr Evans replied, turning slightly pink at the compliment. "Shall we see the horses right away then?"

There was a general murmur of agreement and the party moved to the stables to inspect the horses.

The Prince politely waited through the demonstrations but seemed to favour two horses in particular, Aeton **(A/N: 'swift as an eagle') **and Shadowless (a stallion and a mare). This seemed peculiar to Lily who had thought the Prince would want a palfrey, but he had instead leaned towards the destriers. Far as she knew, the Prince was not part of the cavalry and should have no use for a destrier, unless, perhaps it was to show off his lack of value for money, which wouldn't be too improbable.

The Lord of Oldham also seemed to have taken a liking to a war-horse, although it was a rouncey ("I already have far too many of your destriers, Mr Evans, perhaps its time to try something new…"). The count and Lady de Lewes decided to leave the buying of horses to their marshal who would undoubtedly know more about the animals than them.

The royal attendants took care of the purchases while the party retired to the Evans' living rooms for tea before leaving. The Count and the Lord of Oldham, as well as Lily's father, seemed have enough anecdotes about horses and their masters to keep them all entertained for quite a while before it was time to leave. The good-byes were said and the party started to climb into their carriages when the Prince turned to the Evans one last time.

"Mr Evans, it was a real pleasure being here, I do hope you and your family are able to attend the Ball." he said to Lily's father before turning to her. "And you too, Miss Evans, I hope you shall save me a dance for the Ball."

"Of course, Your Highness." Lily replied, blushing slightly. "Although I rather think I shall see you before the Ball."

"Oh, well that would be wonderful." said the Prince, looking slightly surprised that she hadn't erupted in giggles at his request. "Will you be coming by the palace then?"

"Oh, no…Well, I mean, yes, if that is your wish My Lord, but I was talking about the tournaments." came the flustered reply.

"You are not participating in the tournaments, are you?" the Prince asked, cautious as ever.

"No, Your Highness." her father replied for her. "My family and I are attending the tournament. We have two of our riders participating in it, so we shall be going to support them."

"Ah! Then they will be competing against me? Now I feel compelled to make a wager Mr. Evans!" said the Prince, full of enthusiasm.

"Oh I couldn't possibly bet against you, My Lord! I fear I would be called a traitor!" her father laughed.

The Prince laughed along but wasn't to be shaken, it seemed he wouldn't give in until he had gotten a wager.

"What about you, Miss Evans? Will you be willing to put your money where your mouth is? So to speak, I mean…"

Lily had never been one to run away from a challenge, that was one of the things her father had, unsuccessfully, tried to cure her of. She didn't care that it wasn't very ladylike to be making wagers with the Prince, because she had trained one of their riders and knew how good he was.

"Name your terms, My Lord."

"If both your riders lose to me, you shall…well, lets say you shall owe me a favour." replied the Prince, sounding gleeful. "And if I lose to any one of your riders, which I assure you I won't, then I will owe you a favour. Do we have an agreement, My lady?"

"We do, My Lord, and may the best man win."

As soon as the Prince had left, her father turned to her with a stern look on her face. Lily thought she knew what would follow, and follow it did. Her father seemed almost livid, even though Lily knew he wasn't, that she had made a bet against the Crown Prince of England, which, according to him, was 'hardly a sane thing to do'. He went on to repeat what he had already told her before – not to get caught up in the moment and make regrettable wagers with Crown Princes, not to get caught up in the moment and do regrettable things, and perhaps, just try not to get caught up in the moment at all. Lily listened to it all patiently, knowing she was in the wrong. But the Prince had challenged her and she couldn't have just let that go! Not to mention that she knew how good Augustus was, because she had trained him herself, there was no chance for the Prince, no matter how good he was rumoured to be.

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_Author's Note: A VERY big thank you to all my reviewers!! I seriously didn't expect that many reviews for the first chapter!!_

_OKay, n now the story - A 'page' during would basically be like a servant in a household who'd sort of 'run errands' and stuff but he'd also be sort of an 'apprentice' knight._

_Also, for anyone who doesn't know stuff about horses, palfreys were riding horses ridden by noblemen while destriers were war horses used by knights (who had a lot of money). A 'marshal' was the guy in charge of the stables and horses._

_And if i got any of that wrong, i'm really sorry, because all i know about horses has come from a couple of Saddle Club episodes and a little background research. So, everybody, REVIEW!! (n enjoy, lolz)_


	3. The Conversation

_(I'm going to go on and dedicate this chapter to the guy from MCE, u ALWAYS make my day!!)_

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"Making wagers with commoners? Why James, you need to watch yourself before you turn into me."

James just ignored his best friend and turned back to look out the window.

"You didn't really make a wager with…them, did you James?" Lady de Lewes asked, slightly hesitant.

"I did, as a matter of fact, My Lady."

"What will everyone say! James, they're commoners!" The Lady said, looking dismayed.

"Yes, but they are also decent people, My Lady, and I would ask you not to judge them without knowing them first." said James in a flat tone.

The Lady Cecelia chose not to say anything else while the men started talking about James' bet and the upcoming tournament.

"Anyhow," Remus started with a slight cough, "what was the bet about?"

"Miss Evans seems to think that one of their riders shall best me in the tournament. I was just setting straight the record."

"Ah, well I wouldn't get too…cocky just yet; the Evans riders have always been some of the best in the past years."

"That may be, Remus, but I have been _the_ best in the all the past years." James replied with a smirk.

"Perhaps, but this year, mate, is the year you lose. Your horses may be good in battles but they haven't had any training for tournaments. While I, on the other hand, have trained near a year and there is no way that I will lose." Sirius ranted glad that the matter of the tournament had come up.

"I'm afraid I'll have to side with Sirius on this one, James, he's had more training in _one_ month than you have for the last _six_. Seems I'll be betting against you this time." Remus agreed.

"What? And my best friends won't let me win _on my birthday_? Why, if there was ever a tragedy, this is it!" replied James, laughing along with his friends.

"Tragedy? This? Oh no no no, tragedy is what will happen on your birthday, Your Highness." said Sirius, adding a mock bow to the performance.

--

To celebrate the Prince's twentieth birthday, riding tournaments were to be held in the capital followed by a Celebration Ball in the evening. Riders from all around the kingdom had come to London to take part in one of the most prestigious tournaments and were hoping to win. Augustus Attford and Nicholas Dawson had been entering the tournaments on part of the Evans household for a number of years and were highly competent riders, even if they had never been able to win against the Prince. Nicholas had started training in horseback riding and warfare at the Evans household ever since he turned fifteen while Augustus had been training at the Evans' soon after turning ten.

The Evans' relentless training schedule had been paying off lately, with the two riders coming closer and closer to winning in the past couple of years. But they were both on different levels and needed individual attention. Mr Evans alone was not able to provide this and so Augustus was partly trained by Lily, who had herself undergone the rigorous training ever since she was able to walk. Augustus had had doubts about this arrangement but after a while he and Lily got into the rhythm and were just as good as Nicholas, who was trained by Mr Evans.

But all this training would be for nought if they did not perform well at the riding tournaments, which was their best chance to be recruited by the cavalry. For this reason, both the riders were being put through their paces before the tournaments. Augustus more than Nicholas, because of Lily's wager against the Prince. After finishing the training on the eve of the Prince's birthday, Augustus could be heard moaning and complaining to Lily as they headed back from the grounds.

"You know, it is a pity you are a woman," he groaned, "because if you were a man you could train _yourself_ for the tournaments, and then you'd know how rigid your training schedule is."

"Oh stop being so…feminine, besides, the horse is doing most of the work, all you're doing is sitting fatly on it."

"Why you little—, if you weren't a woman and if I had the energy to hit you, you would be lying on the ground right now for that little wisecrack!"

"Yes, but right now you are going to conserve that energy for that tournament tomorrow, because if you lose, you shall regret the day you were born." Lily said, stepping into the role of a trainer. "And do try to keep your limbs attached, because otherwise it would be quite an inconvenience when we get married."

"I BEG your PARDON??" Augustus exploded after a few seconds of stunned silence. "Since when are we getting _married_?"

"Augustus, do try to keep up with the times!" replied an exhausted Lily, "They have been planning our wedding ever since you moved here and I'm well aware that both our parents have talked to you about it, since you are the 'man' in the 'relationship'."

"How could you possibly know about that?"

"Its like they say, 'the walls have ears'."

"You were eavesdropping!!" he said, stunned that she would do such a thing.

"You can't call it eavesdropping! If anything, I was merely inviting myself to a conversation that seemed, in its entirety, to be about me! It was only fair that I be there." defended Lily.

For a few moments, Augustus didn't quite know how to react but quickly recovered from his shock and decided to take the tactical approach.

"Well…so you know…that the...uh…Celebration Ball is to be…our first…" he choked out, looking almost mortified.

"Outing, yes, I know, and that you are to ask me to dance the last dance with you." She stated matter-of-factly.

For a moment, both of them remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"I think you would make a horrible wife, Lily." Augustus said smugly, having recovered from shock and embarrassment.

"Yes, well, I shall be ten times worse if you lose that tournament tomorrow, just you remember that." Lily replied, taking the mock offence with stateliness.

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_(Author's Note: Disclaimer - im sure everybody knows it by now..._

_The story - In this chapter, i kindda imagine Lily like the girl from 'Imp Of Being Ernest' who sorta has an imaginary relationship with Algernon. Anyways, that's just the weirdness for this chapter, theres no 'Crazy' Lily in this fic._

_A VERY VERY big thank u to all my reviewers!! Seriously, i cannot believe the number of reviews i got! But a special mention goes to princecharmprincesswit. I'm sooo glad u asked me that coz i kept on forgetting to clear it up! Neways, no, NOT non magic, it'll come in later on, just can't mention it now or it'll be lyk the DH epilogue. n im sorry about the shortness and the lateness - i tried trying to make it better but its a lost cause, sorry guys!_

_So, a very big, humungous, gigantic thanx to: DarkRoseDevon, toria-b2, jassyflower, padfootlover12, Party.EnjoyLife.NoRegrets., pippapear, I-want-Jasper, magicXheart, dobbydarling, Stormwing, RosalieBellaPotter, princecharmprincesswit, .o.wolfgirl.o. haha, Kas, u found it lolz! good to know ur still reading! keep on reviewing everybody!! n Enjoy!!)_


	4. The Tournament I

On the day of the tournament, the excitement and nervousness in the air were palpable. All the riders were nervous, as were their trainers. While the men were occupied with their horses, the women were hoping to attract a prospective husband and were dressed in their finest finery. However, out of all the women present at the tournaments, the most stunning, perhaps, was the Lady Cecelia Isabel Marguerite De Lewes, who, after all, was looking for a husband in no one less than the Crown Prince himself. The competition was just as fierce among the women as it was among the riders, everyone wanted to find a rich husband and settle down and not have a thing to worry about later.

Lily, however, had more important things to worry about and was on the grounds, the only one of the fairer sex there. She was giving Augustus some last minute suggestions, just like most of the other trainers. But Lily had more on the line – her bet with the Prince. If Augustus lost to the Prince, she felt she would be shamed for life, and therefore, it was vitally important that he win. She was only now starting to doubt her faith in the young man before her, after all, the Prince had done this a lot of times, how could anyone defeat him? She was even desperate enough to promise Augustus things she would never normally have agreed to (even to cut him some slack in his training!) if he won the tournament.

The tournament was split up in three parts. The first part was to be a jousting contest; with the theory being that only the strongest would survive, thus eliminating the weaker competition. It was indeed the most taxing match in the tournament, requiring not just brute strength but also remarkable horsemanship and concentration. Lily didn't know much about Nicholas Dawson, but jousting wasn't one of Augustus' strengths. He wasn't completely useless at it either though, and he was certainly capable enough to get through it.

Soon the trumpets sounded to signal the official start of the tournaments and Lily hurried back to the stands, wishing Augustus the best of luck one last time. Once the trumpet calls had finished, the King himself stood up to address the riders and the spectators, but Lily was unable to decipher a single word of it as the racket surrounding her drowned it all out. But it didn't matter as she had been coming to the tournaments ever since she was a little girl and almost had the King's speech memorised.

Once the King had sat down and raised his hand as a signal to start, the ruckus around Lily seemed to increase ten times. The first couple of riders stepped forward, bowing first to each other and then to the spectators, showing off the flamboyant costumes and armour of both their horses and themselves. As soon as they took their positions on the opposite sides of the grounds and readied their lances, the crowd fell silent in anticipation. But Lily knew from experience that this was the calm before a storm. And sure enough, there was an explosion of sound, from both the gentlemen and the ladies, as the horsemen raced towards each other, lances poised to strike.

Although Lily had seen the tournament so many times before, she couldn't help but get excited as the metal from lances and shields clanged and a rider was unhorsed. The victor sent a wave to the spectators, and undoubtedly to a maiden in the stands, before turning his horse around and exiting the grounds for the next two riders. And so it went for the first few riders, but other than the couple of injured riders there was nothing extraordinary. Then the herald announced the next riders and the excitement in the stands rose. Even Lily's father rose along with the crowds to cheer for one of the riders.

Lily couldn't hear the announcement, but she recognised the coat of arms of one of the competitors – it was the Lord of Oldham, Sirius Black. The women in the stands seemed to be all but swooning at the sight, although no one could see the young man as he was so completely clad in armour. Lily had seen him in action before and knew he was certainly one to be watched and watch out for and she thanked her lucky stars that Augustus didn't have to face him in the joust. And the young Lord certainly lived up to her expectations. He and his horse raced through the ground as though they were one. Looking for all the world as if he were out for a midnight ride in the woods, he hit his lance square in the middle of his opponent's shield, effectively knocking him off his horse, and breaking his own lance, in one clean blow. At this, Lily rose along with the crowd to cheer and congratulate the young rider for his win, greatly impressed by his skills.

After acknowledging his win and waving to the audience, the Lord of Oldham left the grounds and the next riders entered. One of them bore a Coat of arms that Lily was able to recognise – it was a mix of the Evans and Dawson coat of arms – It was Nicholas Dawson, one of their riders. She remained standing, along with her mother and father and the other staff from the household, to show her support for him. He bowed and, at the signal, raced along the ground steadily towards his opponent. Just like the Lord of Oldham, he was able to knock off his opponent in one clean hit, albeit without breaking his lance like the Lord had done, but a win was a win. Lily and her family cheered him on along with the crowd as he took his last bows and exited.

The Evans rider was followed by two newcomers into the tournaments. Their match left one man severely injured and one three-legged horse. Some of the onlookers laughed but Lily felt appalled – if they didn't know how to use their lances they shouldn't have entered the competition in the first place! After all, they couldn't have possibly thought they could win, with horsemanship like that and hardly enough strength to even hold their lances upright!

Her bad mood was made even worse when she saw that the other Evans rider was entering the grounds. Although Augustus' face was completely covered by his helmet, Lily fancied that she could almost tell how he felt just by watching his movements on the horse. He seemed to be shifting the lance in his hand every so often but otherwise seemed quite comfortable, so she guessed he was a little tense but knew there was no reason to be. He looked around in the crowds, trying to spot the Evans but it was impossible, so he bowed and took his position. Once the start was signalled, he let the horse work up into a gallop and aimed his lance right at his opponent. At the last moment, his challenger seemed to lose his nerve and somehow managed to drop his lance altogether. All in all, it was a pretty easy win for Augustus – at least comparatively.

Mr. Evans and Lily had expected him to win, but a win this easy surprised even them. Lily supposed it was lucky for everyone that Augustus looked so fearsome on his horse, dressed in his rather imposing red and white armour.

The next matches went by in a blur without any more incidents until it was the last match of the competition. Traditionally, the last match was always played by the Prince…and another rider unlucky enough to have been paired with him. Also traditionally, the Prince almost always won (mostly he won from his own merit, but sometimes, rumour had it, the Prince's opponent would be…coaxed into losing) and won with ease. This year was to be no different – the Prince managed to unhorse his opponent looking like he could do it blindfolded and with one hand behind his back.

With the Prince's win, the King rose and once again addressed the assembled, both the riders and the audience, before officially declaring a close to the first component of the tournaments. The crowds withdrew; the family of the fallen riders went to help them while those with the winners left to prepare for the next part of the tournaments. The Evans family and staff also headed off to help and congratulate their riders.

--

Both the Evans riders were to be changing their horses for the next part of the tournaments, as using a tired horse would hardly be conventional, and all riders able to afford more than one horse would also be doing the same.

The second element of the tournaments was to be a circuit of sorts, with the first ten riders to plant their banner on the other side would make it through to the last leg of the tournaments. The idea behind this being that only the riders with the most endurance and deliberation, and also the better horses, would be able carry on to the next round, as a rider couldn't just race through a circuit and hope to make it through – to be able to pass through, a rider would need to be fast and cautious, and obviously skilled. However, this didn't necessarily work. Most of the poorer rider would almost certainly be eliminated, regardless of their skill, because they would be forced to use the same horse they did for the joust, and the animal would be far too drained to perform its best.

While Lily had once felt anger at this unfairness, she had grown used to it, knowing she couldn't change society anyhow. And now she just thought it was all for the better as Augustus would have less competition to worry about out there. But she had no reason to fret, the circuit had always been his strength – he could breeze through it and his spot in the next round was virtually held in reserve.

An hour after the jousting competitions, all the horsemen still in the tournaments assembled at the edge of the woods, ready for the King to signal the start for this next part. Once again, the King addressed the gathered, assumedly wishing them the best for this leg of the tournaments before raising his hand, signalling the start. The riders, about 60 in all, bounded forwards, eager as ever to get a good head start seeing as only the first 10 would be able to make it through to the next part.

From where Lily and her family were standing in the crowds, Lily was able to see that Augustus had managed to get a very good start, in front of most riders and behind only a few. Nicholas seemed to have gotten an even better head start and was definitely among the first 5 riders. However, once the horsemen had entered the woods, it was impossible to see them and the spectators moved to the other side of the forest, to the finish line. The only news they got of the goings on inside the woods was when a medic would come out with an injured rider and tell them who was winning and who wasn't. This year, only a couple of riders got injured in the circuit, which was an achievement in and of itself, although it meant that less news of what was happening inside would pass through to the audience.

Jousting was exciting in that the viewers would be able to see what was happening and cheer and make noise for one party or the other. The exciting thing about the circuit was that the spectators had no idea who was doing what and there was mystery in the air until the moment all the 10 riders crossed the finished line. Sometimes, Lily knew, even if a horseman managed to make it into the next part of the tournaments, he would be far too bruised and battered to be able to continue and would have to give away his hard earned place. So it was important for the horseman to try his best, but not so much that he would finish in pieces.

A few hours later, there was anticipation in the air as hooves could be heard from the woods. The noise, which had been almost non existent until then, reached a point where it was impossible to hear anything else. However, it turned out to be a false alarm as it was just another medic, returning with a rider so bloodied even his coat of arms was too bloody to be recognisable. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife – everyone worrying that it was their rider. The unfortunate man seemed significantly injured but was well enough to be able to salute the King before he was led away, no doubt trying to be chivalrous.

As the afternoon wore on in wait of the horsemen, everyone started getting anxious. However, finally, hooves, shouts, swords and other sounds that could only be the horsemen could be heard and the anxiety immediately turned into excitement. Soon two riders could be seen, each locked in a race to the finish line and trying all they legally could to make the other fall behind. It was most spectacular, the two men rode and duelled at the same time in perfect coordination, and yet none could possibly be called better than the other. As the men came nearer, Lily was able to recognise their Coat of Arms. It was the Prince and the Lord of Oldham. Their duel continued right until just before the finishing line, which the Prince appeared to cross first, if by less than even a second.

The crowds cheered and cheered, excited because of the duel between the Prince and his best friend. After that, it was only a matter of minutes before more hooves could be heard and some of the other horsemen came into view. Soon both the Evans riders could be seen racing towards the finish line, locked in battle with some of the other riders. They fought together and before long unhorsed one of their opponents and crossed the line soon after. The whole Evans household was on its feet and cheering for their horsemen who had once again made it through to the semi finals of the tournament. In the next couple of minutes or so the first ten riders had all crossed the finish line and the excitement died down significantly until only those with the remaining horsemen were the only ones that remained to wait for them.

The winners' friends and families were heading off to check on their horsemen to see how badly the circuit had left them. Both Augustus and Nicholas seemed to be relatively uninjured and didn't require much attention. So after taking proper care of the horses and the weapons and armour, the Evans household, including the two riders, left to rest and recuperate before the third and final part of the tournaments started.

--

_(Author's Note: I'm SOOOO sorry about how long it took for me to update!! I just couldn't find any time bcoz i had soo many assessments! BUT, in case you haven't noticed, i made this chapter extra long to make up for it! ...er...never mind that i sorta mixed two chapters up..._

_About the story..well, this chapter's pretty clear, so nothing to clear up. And to all those ppl who were shocked by the last chapter - YAY it worked! lolz_

_As always, a VERY BIG thanx to all my reviewers, you rock guys! Unfortunately i don't hav much tym n so can't put everybody's names up here :( Anywhos, keep reviewing everyone, you know i luv reviews! Enjoy!!_

_PS, Noc007, I will definetely check out your story as soon as i get tym!)_


	5. The Tournament II

The last leg of the tournament was swordplay. While this wasn't as hard and taxing as the jousting or the circuit, it was certainly more challenging as the competition was so good. While it was a display of strength and skill, it was also about the prosperity and wealth of the competitors. Some men had been known to lose simply because their weapons were too blunt. The health and physical condition of the contestants would also be a very contributing factor and that was where quite a few men lost as they would be much too bruised and battered from the first two components of the tournament.

All the participants were allowed to make use of a shield and two swords, or a sword and a dagger. Use of any hidden weapons would result in instant disqualification, as would unchivalrous or dishonourable behaviour. Swordplay was the part of the tournament that probably saw the most unchivalrous behaviour of all. While the men didn't do it purposely, mostly they couldn't help it as the obstacles in the first two components of the tournaments would leave them so out of sorts. Lily had heard the Prince was known to get quite ungracious if put under much pressure and was hoping for exactly that.

Once the men were on the field, they had exactly a half hour from the first clash of the sword to finish the duel. Most duels finished long before the time limit, but any that went over the half hour would be declared a draw where either one of the men accepted defeat or they would both be offered military ranks but wouldn't be able to win the tournaments. Lily's father had once told her about the time when a duel had gone over the half hour and it was the last match of the tournament, none of the contestants were willing to accept defeat and it was unlikely that a Champion would emerge. In the end, the King, to no one's surprise, declared the Prince the Champion and gave his opponent a high yet empty title.

Once again, the King rose to address the assembled and the start was signalled by the sound of trumpets. The men were called out in pairs to honourably fight each other. They were so covered in their ornate armour that only their colours and banner gave any indication of their identity. Almost always, the ten men left so far in the tournament were all nobility or from rather affluent houses. This year was no different; there was the Prince, the Lord of Oldham, the two Evans riders, three riders from the house of Kendall, the Earl of Buckinghamshire and the two sons of the Lord of Roybury.

As expected, the duels were all exhilarating to watch as the men were all very highly skilled and all the duels were over long before the half hour awarded. The competition was fierce and the competitors seemed to rain blows on each other. But all the men were so completely clad in armour that it would be very difficult for anyone to be injured. And yet, the Lord of Oldham managed to hit the younger son of the Lord of Roybury so badly that he had to withdraw. But then again, Lily had always heard about how very aggressive the young Lord was and thought his opponent was lucky to be alive after the way he had provoked him at the start of the duel. That he was provoked was probably the only reason, apart from being close friends with the Prince, the Lord had not been immediately disqualified for such unchivalrous behaviour.

The next contest was between Nicholas and the Prince. Because of the bet, it was arranged so the Prince would fight the two Evans riders before anyone else. Lily knew Nicholas was a very good swordsman, and yet the Prince was very good too. He was, probably, one of the strongest opponents in the tournaments and so there was no doubt their duel would be interesting. As their swords clanked, Lily reminded herself that it was anyone's game and Nicholas had every chance of winning. The Prince seemed to be very zealous and attacked Nicholas with fervour. Nicholas had no choice but to block the attack with his shield, not wanting to damage the blade of his sword by direct contact so early into the duel. Only when his shield was too tattered to provide any protection did he use his sword to attack, expecting the Prince to block him with his shield. The Prince, in a surprise move, counter-attacked and threw Nicholas off-balance. After that point, it seemed very unlikely that Nicholas would be able to recover, at least not in time to win the duel.

The crowds, of course, loved it. But then they loved anything, thought Lily. Soon the Prince had Nicholas cornered and unarmed and the duel was called to an end. Lily could tell that Nicholas was disappointed, but he took his loss graciously, considering. The Prince was then given a few minutes to recover before his duel with Augustus. Lily could just imagine what Augustus would be doing at that moment – he'd be pacing his tent and muttering words of encouragement to himself.

Before long the next duel was called and the Prince and Augustus came onto the field and bowed to each other before taking their positions. Once again, the Prince attacked first and Augustus was forced to block it with his shield which soon fell into pieces. Without his shield, his only defence was to attack, and so Augustus retaliated ardently and was blocked by the Prince's sword. Unlike Nicholas, Augustus had expected the counter-offensive and was not thrown off balance. What followed was some expert swordsmanship and some good old ducking and blocking. The duel lasted quite long, and may have even gone overtime if the Prince hadn't, quite literally, jabbed one of his swords into the side of Augustus' leg and taken advantage of his diverted attention to disarm him. While it was a rather crude move, it was permitted and the Prince won again.

As Augustus bowed to the crowds and left the field, Lily sensed her father looking at her as if to reprimand her again about accepting the Prince's wager. She knew what awaited her back home – a lecture about not making such important decisions in the heat of the moment and just what a grave thing it would be to owe the Prince a favour, especially a Prince who was so…unorthodox. But she watched the rest of the duels with just as much enthusiasm as before the two Evans men lost to the Prince, because the tournament was an occasion of fun and entertainment, and besides, what would be the worst thing the Prince could ask of a commoner?

In less than even a half hour, the Prince and the Lord of Oldham were the only men remaining in the tournament. As soon as they entered the field, the crowd almost went wild, which was most certainly expected, even from the gentlemen and ladies. The Prince and the Lord were both known to be among the best in swordplay and each year their duels would attract huge crowds, and each year they used some new technique or other which would dazzle the crowds. Once the start of their duel was signalled, both men chose to attack, and it seemed they had forgotten their shields, only using them when they couldn't defend with their sword. Before long, sparks were flying at every clash of the swords and soon the blades were too damaged to be used properly. Lily knew that neither the Prince nor the Lord were dense, and yet it seemed to her to be incredibly stupid of them to destroy two perfectly good swords just for the sake of 'entertainment'. Of course, the crowds loved it regardless.

Even with just one sword left, the two men managed to stretch out the duel almost all of the allocated half hour. Yet only in the last few minutes did it seem as if either of them were even trying to win. The level of skill they had displayed in the course of the duel was quite high, but it seemed to reach a new height entirely in those last few minutes, with their swords moving so fast they could hardly be seen. In the end though, all it took was one of the Prince's harder blows to hit the Lord's shield, with his sword getting jammed and refusing to dislodge. With the Prince unarmed, the Lord of Oldham's victory was quite easy.

It was obvious the Prince wasn't happy to have lost the tournaments to his best friend, especially since he'd never lost before. Yet he was ever the gracious loser and congratulated the Lord on his victory before waving at the cheering crowds and retreating from the field. Once the Lord of Oldham had been properly rewarded and congratulated, the King and the royal attendants retreated to the Palace, no doubt to prepare for the evening feast. After the King and his party had exited, friends and family of the participants went on to see them and pass on their best wishes.

--

Lily went with her family to see Augustus and Nicholas, rather hoping she could avoid a meeting with the Prince. She was lucky, it seemed, for the Prince was nowhere to be seen. They met a few other participants and greeted them properly, congratulating or consoling and wishing them the best for the next year. As they got closer to where the two men were, they saw Nicholas helping a very pale Augustus to take off his armour. Only then did Lily remember that he'd been hurt in the duel, and she rushed to his side.

Lily's father checked Augustus' wound and pronounced it to be a very severe. It seemed that the cut was so deep it almost went down to the bone and Augustus may never fully recover unless he got immediate help. Of course, the medics there could help him, but their expertise was in first aid and it would take a doctor to properly tend to the cut. Mr. Evans gestured for Nicholas to leave and tend to his own equipment before beckoning Lily to his side.

"Do you think you can help him? Its rather deep, by the time we get him to a proper doctor it might be too late…"

"I'll try." Lily answered solemnly and gently cleaned the wound with warm water.

Once the wound was clean, Mr. Evans went to stand outside the doorway and head off anyone who came their way.

"Augustus?" Lily whispered, "I'll need you to hold still for a few moments."

There was a muffled groan in response that Lily took as a 'yes' before proceeding to try to heal his leg.

Lily had only ever tried healing once before, and that was on a mare with a bad ankle. She kept on reminding herself that the mare's ankle had healed completely and so should Augustus' leg. Of course, there were slight differences, such as the fact that the mare was, in fact, a mare and that Augustus was actually the man she was to marry…but she put those things out of her mind and focused all her attentions on the wound in front of her.

Even as she touched the wound, she could see it closing up – if only slightly. She continued focusing on the wound with all her strength and within a few minutes the wound looked quite less ghastly. In no time at all, the wound was a shallow cut and Augustus' face got back some colour. Feeling drained, Lily asked her father to call the medics and left to get some fresh air so she wouldn't faint. As she was leaving, she thought she saw a flash of black around the corner, but, looking back, realised there was nothing and thought, jokingly, that perhaps she was losing her mind.

--

_(Author's Note: I am SOO sorry guys!!!! I know there is absolutely no excuse I can possibly give for taking this long to update so I hope this chapter is good enough after you guys waited this long! There's a bit of shocker at the end but I guess most of you probably think its about time a bit of magic was finally mentioned.. And yes its a bit of a cliffhanger but I PROMISE I won't take this long to update again._

_Also, as always, a VERY BIG GIGANTIC THANX to all my reviewers! If it weren't for you guys, I'd probably have given up on this a long time ago - Keep reviewing everyone!!)_


	6. The Ball

This time, I'd like to thank all my reviewers _before_ continuing with the story. You guys are absolutely THE BEST and I love you's all. Your reviews are absolutely wonderful to read and they are my only motivation at the moment (especially considering right now I have exams). So to everyone who likes/liked this fic and especially to the following people, thank you _so much_ and keep reading and reviewing!!!

**_My wonderful reviewers:_** emerald-hazel eyes, buttonbit, jassyflower, dobbydarling, shetlandlace, padfootlover13, pippapear, FunFlirtyFlute, Dippity-Rox, LilyXJames, robinhoodthegirl, anniem, People Always Leave., dancelikeyoujustdontcare, Cherrykisses21, muddy worm, .NoRegrets., DarkRoseDevon, elsiethemarauder, princecharmprincesswit, ..o.,toria-b2, Kunafox, Noc007, RosalieBellaPotter, Stormwing, magicXheart,I-want-Jasper, BrazilianPrincess, Basil Leaves, Rocks-my-socks

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While her parents went to the feast, Lily was busy getting ready for the Celebration Ball that was to be held that evening in honour of the Prince's birthday. Lily was unsure about wearing the dress that her mother had picked out for her to the Ball, fearing she would be the only one there who was dressed for a wedding, but her objections fell on deaf ears.

"Bessie, it is only a ball! I do not need to look so fancy!"

"I have my orders, Miss Lily. Your mother says you are to wear this to the ball, I makes sure you wears it to the ball." was the only reply Lily got from the maid before she was forced into the dress.

And if that wasn't enough, Bessie had gone on to take Lily's untameable hair and had wrapped strands around rods of some sort. It was only when Bessie finally unwrapped the hair that Lily realised it had become curled. After that, her hair had been yanked and pulled and pinned and woven until Bessie was satisfied with it and allowed Lily to stand up.

Standing up, Lily thought the worst was over; after all, the pain she had been put through had left her with tears in her eyes and a slight buzz in her head. But of course, she had gotten her hopes up for nothing, for as soon as she stood up, her cheeks were pinched until they were red and her eyes were filled with fresh tears. Bessie quickly wiped the tears and applied kohl to her eyes and told her she was ready.

Giving in to Bessie's urging Lily finally turned to look at herself in the mirror and didn't recognise herself. Looking back at her from the mirror was a young, elegant woman who looked like nobility. She had never cared about her appearance but she had to admit that looking like the woman reflected in the mirror was almost worth the pain she had been put through. Almost, but not quite, she realised, as Bessie went on to tighten her corset even more, causing Lily wonder if Bessie was really an assassin sent to kill her.

Descending the stairs carefully so as not to dislodge anything, or cause herself any more pain, she was continuously reminded by Bessie to "…just breathe…", something, she told Bessie, that was easier said than done. She was sure that if by the end of the night she didn't die from the suffocating corset, then she would die from the agony of her hair being pulled so tightly.

Lily saw Augustus standing beside the carriage that was to take them to the Ball and her pace slowed down immediately. Although so far she had been nonchalant about the fact that he was the man she would one day marry, her stomach turned into a bundle of nerves when she realised the gravity of that. She looked over at him for comfort but he looked just as nervous as she felt.

"You look wonderful, Lily…" she heard him say as she got closer.

"And you look like quite the gentleman, Augustus."

And he did. Dressed in an immaculate white shirt that contrasted handsomely with the black of his doublet and breeches, he looked like nothing like his usual self. Lily could imagine spending the rest of her life with this gentleman.

"I wanted to thank you for saving me...if you hadn't been there—"

"If I hadn't been there, Augustus, I would be widowed before I even got married," Lily replied cheekily, "And that would be a real shame."

Their easy banter continued all the way to the palace as they slipped back into their usual pattern, dissolving the tension. It was only as she was entering the Royal Ballroom that Lily remembered the reason for her earlier unease, but by then it was too late to turn around. Not only would this evening see her virtually betrothed, but she would also owe the Prince a favour, which couldn't possibly turn out good.

"You're late. I thought perhaps you'd changed your mind..."

Recognising that voice, Lily cringed slightly before turning to greet her sister.

"Petunia, how charming to see you after so long..."

"Yes, wonderful." Petunia replied, dragging her into the seemingly endless crowd of people, all dressed so richly that Lily felt entirely too underdressed. "You're late and we have yet to greet the Prince. Hurry up!"

Lily had expected the Royal Ballroom to be extraordinary at the least and stupefying...also, at the least. Unfortunately all she could observe was a blurred haziness as Petunia rushed her past the crowd towards the Prince. It didn't help at all that her dress was suffocating her and her head was numb with pain. She went meekly with Petunia and focused on breathing, hoping Augustus had followed them.

"I don't see Vernon," Lily asked, trying to fight unconsciousness, "Is he –"

"He's speaking with the Count of Cromwell, as I would be too if you had arrived on time."

Lily attempted to apologise for her tardiness but she had hardly enough air to breathe and already her vision was turning into a big blur of dark spots.

As she was whisked through the crowd she focused on maintaining a passably regular rate of breathing and ignoring the throbbing pain in her head. Her only comfort was Augustus' calming presence behind her, somehow it lessened the pain. She was greatly relieved when Petunia spotted Vernon and slowed down to allow him to catch up to them.

"Mr Attford." Vernon greeted as he reached them, "Miss Evans."

Lily smiled slightly and allowed him to kiss her hand but didn't attempt to reply, instead using this slight respite to catch her breath.

"Shall we go greet the Prince now, then?" Augustus suggested, wanting to get the unpleasant part of their evening over with.

Lily had known Augustus for many years, which was perhaps why she was the only one who realised how tense he was. He had always been a sore loser, and having to congratulate the man who had defeated him only served to increase his resentment. As Lily took his arm and started towards the Prince, she realised that, for once, she actually shared his feelings. She was dreading this meeting – admitting defeat was certainly not something she was very good at doing.

There were only a few yards to the Prince when Lily started truly panicking. There were far too many things he could ask of her...No, that wasn't true – he could ask _anything_ of her and she had to oblige. She tried thinking of some way, _any_ way, out of her predicament but there was no way out. She prayed to the Lord, she promised never to make wagers again and she prayed to the Lord again.

"...but next year you may have an even chance, what with Sirius being unable to practice and..."

As Lily heard the Count of Oldham console – or rather, mock – the Prince, she finally found an answer to her prayers.

"Your Highness," Vernon bowed as they reached the Prince and his entrouge, "It is an honour to meet you again..."

Vernon went on to introduce everyone and wish the Prince a happy birthday but Lily wasn't listening, only remembering to curtsy when she heard Vernon say her name. Instead, she was thinking over her inevitable conversation with the Prince, unable to help the slight smile that took over her features.

"Miss Evans, we meet again."

Lily blushed slightly when the Prince addressed her – she had been too absorbed in her own thoughts to realise Vernon had finished with the introductions.

"It is a pleasure." She replied, trying to overcome her embarrassment. "You played exceptionally in the Tournaments, my Lord, I am sorry that you lost."

"Why thank you, but I rather doubt you felt much pity." the Prince replied, not unkindly. "Mr Attford, you were a worthy opponent, it was a pleasure competing against you." he added to Augustus.

"You are too kind, Sire," Augustus replied, and Lily could almost see him force the words out, "And the pleasure was all mine."

The men continued to discuss the tournaments and were soon joined by Lord Black who joined the Count of Oldham in mocking the Prince. At that, the others didn't know quite what to do, resulting in a rather awkward situation which went unnoticed by both the Lord and the Count. The Prince, on the other hand, seemed to still be quite a bit sore about his loss and kept attempting to steer the conversation towards a different direction.

"Well, it seems as though the first dance is about to start," he finally cut into the Lord's description of their duel, "I must go find Lady de Lewes, if you'll excuse me."

Among the good-byes there was a bark of laughter, from the Lord probably, as the Prince took his leave.

"Oh, Miss Evans, before I forget – we must settle that wager today." he called to Lily before leaving to dance with his betrothed.

--

_(Disclaimer: I'm broke, and i wouldn't be if i owned any of the characters...well, except Cecelia but she's hardly gonna make me rich..._

_Author's Note: The first thing I have to say is, obviously, i am SO SORRY!! I won't give any excuses, once again, but I do want to say that i'm not going to abandon this fic - it may take me a long long time to finish, but i'm going to finish it. Especially since i've kind of got one of the later chapters already written. So now all I have to do is write everything in between lolz._

_And on that note, I plan to update again, sometime after the 4th of november coz that's when i finally FINALLY finish my exams!!_

_Anyway, so I read the previous chapters again, just to get into the writing again and I realised how much different my writing style is now compared to then. So, while this chapter isn't that different, the next chapters will probably be a bit less immature and hopefully better and longer..._

_Moving on to the story - Nothing much to clarify except that - yes, Lils HAS thought of a way out of losing the bet and you'll find out in the next chapter, as well as finally finding out what the palace looks like =]_

_And there's also another really big, magic-related revelation in the next chapter - and I don't feel too bad about saying that here coz i know no-one reads author's notes anyway__ =]_

_If there's any kinks in my writing (spelling probs, grammatical errors, setting, consistency, language..i could go on) please tell me - i do like constructive criticism._

_Once again, all my readers - I luv reviews and reviewers. But if u didn't review, its okay - been there, done that, i get it =]_

_One last thing - Here's a snippet from one of the later chapters (which will undoubtedly be unreconisably changed by the time I get that far in the story), enjoy!_

_----_

**The page announced the arrival of the Prince at the door, but Lily didn't move to receive him, she couldn't work up the strength to get up. She vaguely heard one of the maids showing the Prince to her rooms but still didn't move, not sure if this time it was from not being able to or not wanting to. Soon there was a swift knock at the door and the Prince entered, not waiting for a reply. He hesitated near the bed, looking at her uncertainly and seeing the disarray surrounding her.**

**"May I?" he asked, pointing at the solitary chair in the room.**

**Lily nodded, hoping he would leave and wishing he wouldn't. He sat down but didn't say anything. To Lily, the silence was worse than anything she had anticipated.**

**"Is it true? Are you leaving?" she asked finally. "…Your Highness." she added, catching herself before it was too late.**

**"I'm afraid so…" he replied, looking straight at her.**

**Her expression remained inscrutable, but she closed her eyes and refused to look anywhere in his vicinity.**

**"I must, Lily, I cannot just turn the other way and pretend we're not at war." he tried to explain, but of course, it was no explanation at all.**

**"But you don't have to pretend, because we _aren't_ at war!"**

**"_Yet._ But we will be, soon. That's as sure as your marriage to _Sir _Attford."**

**To that, Lily didn't know what to say, he had left her speechless once more.**

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_PS, don't worry - this is still, and always, definetely a **Lily/James** fic)_


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